The Anti-Scientists

How the Work of a Contrarian Minority Provided a Foundation for the Trump Administration’s War on Environmental Science

The administration’s global assault on climate science and roll back of more than 100 environmental protections rested on the work of a small number of outlier scientists. Despite widespread criticism of their work —and abundant evidence refuting it—the scientists were given seats on Environmental Protection Agency scientific advisory boards, elevated to high-level positions in agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and placed in influential roles in federal efforts like the National Climate Assessment.

This series takes an in-depth look at three scientists and how their work was used to justify the rollback of protective rules and create a counterweight to the mainstream consensus on climate change. And in a final piece for the series, ICN tells the story of the many scientists who , from inside and outside the federal government, fought back against the administration’s attack on environmental science.